Here
you will find a most important informations about
Dubai United Arab EmiratesAlphabetical Listing of United Arab Emirates Travel
Tips

Jobs
in United Arab Emirates

The
UAE has one of the lowest unemployment levels in
the world, standing at only 2.4 per cent at the
end of 2001 as a result of high growth in the non-oil
economy and a government drive to find jobs for
citizens, according to official estimates.

The
country's workforce was estimated at around 2.079
million last year, of which nearly 2.029 million
were employed, the Ministry of Planning said in
its 2002 annual report.

This
means around 50,000 people were jobless, accounting
for about 2.4 per cent of the total labour force
and just 1.4 per cent of the 3.48 million population.

The
ministry said it had revised its figures for the
workforce which it earlier estimated at around
1.85 million at the end of 2001.

Experts
said the revision was apparently prompted by drastic
changes in the labour market as thousands of expatriates
had to leave because of new labour policies while
a large number of nationals are taking up jobs
after reaching the legal job age.

"Compared
to other developing or even developed countries,
the UAE's unemployment rate is one of the lowest
in the world," said a UAE banker.

But
experts noted official estimates do not include
thousands of illegal expatriate residents who
are not registered with the Ministry of Labour
and Social Affairs. Although some of them have
part time jobs in violation of labour laws, many
of them are unemployed.

More
than 200,000 illegal migrants, mostly Asians,
left the UAE five years ago to benefit from a
general amnesty ordered by President His Highness
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to clean up
the country from immigration violations and restore
discipline in the job market. Another spardon
is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

Although
actual unemployment rates might be higher, the
UAE does not have a real joblessness given its
strong economy and a serious government campaign
to employ nationals through the creation of new
jobs in the public and private sectors and replacement
of expatriate workers.

Economists
said they saw no hurdles for such a campaign as
the non-oil economy is growing by at least four
per cent, which is faster than the population
growth.

"This
means the UAE can cope with the population growth
and at the same time maintain its high per capita
income which has eroded sharply in other countries
in the region," an expert said.

A
breakdown by the Ministry of Planning showed the
UAE has never suffered from a severe unemployment
problem, with the rate standing at only 1.9 per
cent in 1975.

It
fluctuated in the following years but remained
in the range of one to three per cent.

The
level is expected to be maintained in the following
years as the government's new labour policies
focus on employment of nationals and deportation
of unnecessary and unqualified foreign workers.

The
private sector will likely play a major role in
the employment of citizens given its massive potential
and the fact that the public sector is saturated
and is not growing enough to accommodate large
numbers of new jobs.